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Thursday, July 10, 2008

Touched Echo Interactive Exhibit Uses Bone Conduction Technology

Touched Echo Interactive Exhibit (Images courtesy livegrids.net)

By Andrew Liszewski

Most large museums and art galleries today provide some kind of personal audio device that visitors can carry with them if they wish to learn more about the various exhibits on display. A similar idea has been implemented at the Brühl’s Terrace in Dresden, Germany, but instead of having to wear headphones or hold some device to their ear, visitors simply need to rest their elbows on a metal rail and cover their ears with their hands. Using bone conduction technology (or what they call ‘Touched Echo’) the sounds of airplanes and explosions simulating the air raid that occurred on February 13, 1945 are transmitted from the metal rail through the visitor’s arms and directly into the inner ear. The sounds are completely inaudible to someone who isn’t touching the rail, and since the terrace is located outside, the bone conduction system is a perfect solution because it’s completely weatherproof. I’ve also included a video that demonstrates how the system is used and what the simulated air raid sounds like.

[ Interactive Exhibits, Touched Echo ] VIA [ NOTCOT.ORG ]

catergory Related Tags: Innovation

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steve-o

I am curious what transducers were used? there are several ones like "whispering windows' that might work for this. did you have to make your own?

Tips Photo

Thanks for the post.

a

That latin chick is fit.

Jenny

That sounds cool.! Talk about touch sensitive...did everyone hear about this plant that MOVES when you Tickle It. This is NO joke. It's called the TickleMe Plant. I saw it at my friends house and now Im growing my own indoors. The leaves instantly fold and even the branches sway when Tickled! I found it on line at http://www.ticklemeplant.com

ShopLowes_NOW

For fucks sake. "Bone Conduction Technology"? Yeah, BCT, for short. Because you know, holding your arms on a fucking rail is kinda like putting a shell up to your ear at the beach ... the two are pretty much exactly the same.

Oh, how post-modern of me.

If I wanted to hear the sounds of falling bombs I'd join the military.

krembo99.com

very very cool thing ..
I wonder how clear the sound is, and if you can use this method for any sound ..

joryoh

This is a great idea!
you can do the same thing with a tuning fork from a guitar. Just get the fork ringing and touch the ball-end to your clenched jaw.
I've been doing this for years, and to see the concept applied to this kind of technology is brilliant!

Scott

Freakin' love it!

StupidAmerican

There is so much cool stuff out there. Too bad they do not want you to know about this stuff in the states.

Escoofield

Hahahahhaha that is cool :)

Escoofield -
http://alotofit.com

Have Fun!

monkeyspoon

that would be the most awesome thing if the audio was also binaural.

very freaky

mugwumpman

Great idea, and commemoration!
Surely this could be put to more use though, for e.g. tourist information about the area? You could have a section of railing for English commentary, a section for French etc.
That'd be really useful and cool.

KOri

All those people look like theyre contemplating suicide :S

Bosco

if you had no hands you would put your elbows on the rails, if you DID have hands you would put your elbows on the rails. IF you had reading comprehension problems you'd ask stupid questions while thinking you were having a deep thought. But suppose you had really wanted to ask "what if I had no arms." Then you could not balance when you tried to walk so you would approach the rail in a wheelchair. Which is just the right height to stick your head up someone's arse and use their elbows.

Anonymous

ah! I'd love to try these... I've been playing around with some bone conductive earpieces recently for a project, and actually, I think you should be able to very very very clearly hear everything if you just rest your jaw on the railing, and use your fingers to plug your ears. I'd try that if I had the chance to visit this ;) I liked the designer's intent of mimicking a shielding position should one really face an air raid. cheers!

Golden-brown K Squeeze

I have pictures of myself standing right there last April while on vacation and those things were NOT there. I am SO bummed that I missed it!

steet

Anonymous

to fat elbow........ lost some weight tuby :3
lol im sorry just messin with ya :P

Fat Elbow

What if I have very fat elbows? Could my elbow bone get close enough to the rail to conduct sound?

Jim

To poster above:
The difference that people would hear would vary according to clothing, tissue composition (muscle to fat ratio) and how well they contacted the rail and their ears. Putting you head on the rail would work. That's how you can tell how far away a train is from you.

Anonymous

I've got some Questions!

That seems awesome, but wouldn't the sounds be different to different people?
Is there a lot of interference?
And say I had no hands, do I simply put my head up against the rails?

Anonymous

NO WE WON'T! (argumentative enough? :))

Over at the self-darkening welding helmet post I was a bit worried why a comment quoting Douglas Adams should disappear. Thought at first it might have been deleted as spam; well the description of "Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses" does read a little like an advert at first glance...

Ah, so that what's happened. Keep clean.

David Ponce

Hey everyone. THere used to be a bunch of comments here. But we were hacked. We're working to reload the database, but that could take a while. In the meantime, please keep arguing. :)

Oh! Gizmo

Touched Echo Interactive Exhibit Uses Bone Conduction Technology

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